Ponting Joins ICC Hall Of Fame

03 July 2018

Media Dept for Hobart Hurricanes

Australian, Tasmanian Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes cricketing legend and captain Ricky Ponting has added yet another accolade to his enormous collection, after he was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall Of Fame on Monday.

The Launceston-born 43-year-old joins his old foe in India's Rahul Dravid and retired women's England wicketkeeper-batter Claire Taylor as 2018’s official inductees into the ICC Hall Of Fame which now holds 87 members.

Ponting played across 17 years from 1995 – 2012 and becomes the 25th Australian to achieve this ICC honour, entering the exclusive club behind former teammates Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Steve Waugh.

Australia's greatest run-scorer in Tests with 13,378 runs from 168 matches including 41 centuries (51.85 batting average), and One-Day Internationals with 13,704 runs from 375 matches including 30 centuries (42.03 batting average), Ponting led our national cricketing side during a ‘golden era’.

The man nicknamed ‘Punter’ also racked up 17 T20 Internationals for 401 runs at a batting average of 28.64 and 48 domestic T20s for 909 runs at a batting average of 22.72.

Globally, he is second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 15,921 for total Test runs and third behind Tendulkar and fellow Hobart Hurricane Kumar Sangakkara for total ODI career runs.

Ponting was part of three ICC Cricket World Cup-winning squads in 1999, 2003 and 2007 – the last two as captain of the side, and in charge when Australia beat England 5-0 in the 2006-07 Ashes Series whitewash on home soil.

As Australia’s 42nd Test Captain, he remains the most successful Test skipper too, having led the team to 48 wins in 77 games, superior to Steve Waugh’s mark of 41 from 57.

Ricky Ponting was a sight to behold at the height of his career and an uncompromising fighter, refusing to give an inch on the cricket field and never taking a backward step.

"I feel deeply honoured to be recognised by the ICC in this way," said Ponting in an ICC statement.

"I loved every moment of my journey as a player and am so very proud of the team and personal achievements along the way.

"These would not have been possible without the help of so many people including my teammates, coaches and support staff that played such an integral part in my playing career.

“I would like to especially thank my family for their constant support and direction. Honours like this are just as much for them as it is for me."

Congratulations to Ricky Ponting (again!) from the Tasmanian Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes.

Background Information:

The ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame was launched on 2 January 2009 in association with the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA), as part of the ICC's centenary year celebrations.

The ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history.

The initial intake of inductees are the 55 players named in the FICA Hall Of Fame which ran between 1999 and 2003.

This was supplemented by a select group of inductions each year, which started in 2009 when five new inductees: Wasim Akram, Clarrie Grimmett, Herbert Sutcliffe, Victor Trumper and Steve Waugh were announced as new members of the ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame at the LG ICC Awards.

Induction ceremonies take place throughout the cricket calendar where the inductees (or, in the case of those who have passed away, their relatives) are presented with a commemorative ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame cap.

The living members of the ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame are also involved in the selection process to the new intake of legends into the Hall Of Fame each year.